9 September 2015
The turn of the ‘Ring!
No time for the World Series by Renault to catch its breath in this month of September! Following Silverstone last weekend, the competitors now head to another motor racing monument: the Nürburgring. The German circuit will play host to the Renault Sport Trophy, Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 and Formula Renault 3.5 Series. This weekend will also the see the return of a former champion in the Fast, Free, Fun Event. Pierre Gasly will be at the wheel of the Infiniti Red Bull Racing Show. Free tickets are available on www.worldseriesbyrenault.com.
Liked by all, the Nürburgring still enjoys immense popularity. In proposing a demanding challenge, the ‘Ring’ delivers epic battles among the drivers in all the categories organized by Renault Sport Technologies.
In between the races, the World Series by Renault cheerleaders, Freestyl’air Show acrobats and the Renault Sport Show keep the party atmosphere going. The Infiniti Red Bull Racing Show is one of the most anticipated demonstrations at the Renault meetings and this time out it will be none other than 2014 Formula Renault 3.5 Series runner-up and 2013 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 champion, Pierre Gasly behind the wheel!
Next door to the paddock, spectators who aren’t bothered by heights can take a ride on the Ferris wheel for a unique bird’s eye view of the circuit. The Renault Village over at the karting track will have simulators and a pit stop challenge among many other activities and displays, including those of the Captur Concept, Renault DéZir and Formula E show car!
Formula Renault 3.5 Series: battles up and down the order
Seven drivers still remain in the fight for the title, but with a streak of seven straight podium results, Oliver Rowland (Fortec Motorsports) is close to pulling away. The only driver who can rival the points leader, Matthieu Vaxiviere (Lotus) was beaten twice by the Racing Steps Foundation backed Englishman last weekend. The Frenchman in the Lotus F1 Junior Team will do all he can to reverse the trend on the track where he scored his first podium in 2014.
The battle for third place in the championship will be just as fierce. The highest placed rookie and member of the Red Bull Junior Team Dean Stoneman (DAMS) has just overtaken Jazeman Jaafar (Fortec Motorsports) in the general classification. Nyck de Vries (DAMS), member of the McLaren Young Driver Development Programme, Tom Dillmann (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin) and Egor Orudzhev (Arden Motorsport), will all try to make their way to the podium, which was the case for Tio Ellinas (Strakka Racing) and Pietro Fantin (International Draco Racing) at Silverstone.
In the points in the last six races, Gustav Malja (Strakka Racing) will look to join this group of outsiders and leave behind Nicholas Latifi (Arden Motorsport). Behind them, Aurélien Panis (Tech 1 Racing) and Roy Nissany (Tech 1 Racing) want to stay in contention for the top ten.
A top three finisher last year, Marlon Stockinger (Lotus) returns to confirm the speed he showed during his one off run in Austria. After bringing an end to his four consecutive retirements with a point scoring result, Sean Gelael (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin) hopes for more of the same. Alfonso Celis (AVF), Beitske Visser (AVF) and Bruno Bonifacio (International Draco Racing) will aim for a strong showing in Germany where Yu Kanamaru (Pons Racing) will make his debut.
Race 1: Saturday 12 September at 13:00
Race 2: Sunday 13 September at 13:00
Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0: everything starts anew
While he enjoyed a comfortable advantage before Silverstone, Louis Delétraz (Josef Kaufmann Racing) Comes to the Nürburgring with just a single-point lead from team mate Kevin Jörg (Josef Kaufmann Racing), who is closely followed by the other victors at Silverstone, Jack Aitken (Koiranen GP) and Anthoine Hubert (Tech 1 Racing), as well as Jake Hughes (Koiranen GP), who has finished in the top six in the last seven races.
Behind the top five who will aim for the win, Ukyo Sasahara (ART Junior Team), who claimed a podium result in Great Britain, and Dennis Olsen (Manor MP Motorsport) are still in the hunt. Leaving Silverstone empty handed, Ben Barnicoat (Fortec Motorsports) and Matevos Isaakyan (JD Motorsport) will try to bounce back.
The scrap between rookies Harrison Scott (AVF) and Darius Oskoui (ART Junior Team) will be hard fought. The Englishman will want to confirm his top-three result on home soil, while the Swiss wants to return to the podium. An objective shared with Callan O’Keeffe (Fortec Motorsports) and Ignazio D’Agosto (Manor MP Motorsport). These two have seen Thiago Vivacqua (JD Motorsport) and Martin Kodrić catch up to them. Coming off his fastest race lap in UK, Simon Gachet (Tech 1 Racing) hopes to convert this speed into a healthy point tally.
Out of the points at Silverstone, James Allen and Amaury Richard (ARTA Engineering), Anton De Pasquale (Koiranen GP), Charlie Eastwood (AVF), Hugo de Sadeleer (Tech 1 Racing) and Valentin Hasse-Clot (Fortec Motorsports) will try to jump start their seasons. Bruno Baptista (Manor MP Motorsport), Christopher Anthony (Manor MP Motorsport) and Nikita Troitskiy (JD Motorsport) will join the category while wild-card entries Stefan Riener and Daniel Ticktum (Koiranen GP), Ferdinand Habsburg (Fortec Motorsports), Daniel Pronenko (BVM), Max Defourny (ART Junior Team), Vasily Romanov (Cram Motorsport), Pontus Fredricsson (Prizma Motorsport) and the protégés from Sahara Force India and the RACB, Jehan Daruvala (Fortec Motorsports) and Dries Vanthoor (Josef Kaufmann Racing) complete the field.
Race 1: Saturday 12 September at 14:35
Race 2: Sunday 13 September at 14:35
Renault Sport Trophy: the final sprint begins
Last Sunday saw Steijn Schothorst’s (Equipe Verschuur) perfect run come to an end as well as Andrea Pizzitola (ART Junior Team) get back in the title fight. Both will try to pull away in Germany, where 50 points will be up for grabs. The Elite drivers will take the start for the Endurance race. Nevertheless, Vittorio Ghirelli (Zele Racing) and David Fumanelli (Oregon Team) want to stay in contention, as does Indy Dontje (ART Junior Team), who is now among the top five following his podium result last weekend. In what is an extremely competitive field, Nicky Pastorelli (V8 Racing) will also want to build on his top-three finish to now worry Roy Geerts (V8 Racing) and Luciano Bacheta (Oregon Team), who failed to score at Silverstone. Finally, Bas Schothorst (Zele Racing), Federico Leo (V8 Racing), Alan Hellmeister (Oregon Team) and Miguel Ramos (Equipe Verschuur) will try to make dramatic comebacks to keep their hopes alive. Monlau Competicion will put its trust in Italian driver Michela Cerruti.
In Prestige, 20 points cover the top six. Diederik Sijthoff (V8 Racing) has a slim one point lead in the championship from Dario Capitanio (Oregon Team), who is in search of his maiden triumph, and who is just two digits ahead of two-time race winner, Niccolò Nalio (Oregon Team). Following his double podium tally, Toni Forné (ART Junior Team) is 10 points adrift. The only driver to finish in the top five in each race this season, but still without a podium result as yet, Max Braams (V8 Racing) is another 4 points back. These five will battle for the win, while also keeping an eye on Richard Gonda (ART Junior Team), who wants to bounce back following a disappointing run at Silverstone. Stefano Costantini (V8 Racing), Philippe Bourgois and Andres Mendez (Zele Racing), Jeroen Schothorst and Antonio Coimbra (Equipe Verschuur), as well as Adalberto Baptista (Oregon Team) will also be worth watching because they will all need to do something quite special to stay in contention.
In Endurance, the latest podium of the David Fumanelli - Dario Capitanio (Oregon Team) duo allowed them to stay in the lead of the championship, but the pairing of Luciano Bacheta - Niccolò Nalio (Oregon Team) is now close behind thanks to their Silverstone success. Against the Oregon Team tandems, those of Art Junior Team composed of Indy Dontje - Toni Forné and Richard Gonda - Andrea Pizzitola (ART Junior Team) will try to make up lost ground.
The other teams, such as Max Braams - Roy Geerts (V8 Racing), Nicky Pastorelli - Diederik Sijthoff (V8 Racing), Bas Schothorst - Andres Mendez (Zele Racing) and Alan Hellmeister - Adalberto Baptista (Oregon Team) will work twice as hard to be among the top–three after having obtained their best results.
And following their retirements in Northamptonshire, Steijn Schothorst - Jeroen Schothorst (Equipe Verschuur) and Vittorio Ghirelli - Philippe Bourgois (Zele Racing) will have big ambitions, as will Antonio Coimbra (Equipe Verschuur) and Stefano Costantini (V8 Racing).
Endurance Race: Saturday 12 September at 16:00
Sprint Race 1: Sunday 13 September at 11:45
Sprint Race 2: Sunday 13 September at 16:00
TV programming/ Qualifying on YouTube
All the weekend action will be aired live on the Eurosport Player. The Formula Renault 3.5 Series will be broadcast live on Eurosport International, Eurosport UK and Eurosport 2 France. Eurosport will also show the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 on a delayed basis, as will Motors TV for the Renault Sport trophy. Qualifying for the three categories will be available on the Renault Sport Youtube channel.
Jean-Pascal Dauce, Renault Sport Technologies Director of Motorsport: “Following Silverstone, we offer our competitors another massive challenge. On this circuit chalk-full of history and having a climate ideal for creating numerous changes, there will be fierce battles and the spirits will be lively after a very short five day pause! The drivers will have to attack but be smooth coming out of the corners on this undulating track where compromise between heavy braking and fast corners is essential. Managing the DRS will also be vital. With the fights for the titles now centre-stage, the races should be tactical, spectacular and play a big role in the outcome of the 2015 World Series by Renault!”
2014 Results
Formula Renault 3.5 Series
Qualifying 1: C. Sainz (ESP) 1’40’’820.
Race 1: 1. C. Sainz (ESP) – 2. R. Merhi (ESP) – 3. S. Sirotkin (RUS)
Qualifying 2: R. Merhi (ESP) 1’59’’409.
Race 2: 1. R. Merhi (ESP) – 2. M. Vaxiviere (FRA) – 3. M. Stockinger (PHI)
Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0
Qualifying 1: A. Albon (THA) 1’55’’808.
Race 1: 1. N. de Vries (NED) – 2. A. Albon (THA) – 3. J. Aitken (GBR)
Qualifying 2: D. Olsen (NOR) 2’12’’836.
Race 2: 1. D. Olsen (NOR) – 2. C. Leclerc (MON) – 3. I. D’Agosto (ITA)